Perfect Disaster
by Phoenician Rose
Summary: After arriving at the peak of Mt. Coronet to train, Paul is unexpectedly visited by five legendary pokemon asking his help. Though when he agrees, Paul suddenly finds himself in a clearing with a very startling surprise. Pokemon!Paul
1. Prologue

Perfect Disaster

Prologue

 _"Pikachu is unable battle, which means that Lucario is the winner; which means Cameron wins the match!" The crowds cheered madly, cameras flashing and flags being waved frantically. Ketchum rushes onto the battlefield for his fallen pokemon as the victor finally realises his win, hugging his partner with elation written all over their faces. The announcer soon relays the results across the stadium._

 _"Lucario wraps this up with **Aura Sphere** so Cameron wins this fierce battle and joins our top 4 trainers as they move on to the Semi-finals-" The scene is frozen._

Ketchum.

Ash Ketchum

Ashton do-gooder Ketchum: Saviour of Pokemon, Befriender of the people. Achiever of the Top 4 of the Sinnoh League. Beaten by an immature, temperamental brat for a place in the Semi-finals.

"...Pathetic," he sneered. Did the idiot even try to win? Who challenges a Pokemon League with pokemon caught barely more than 6 months ago, unprepared to fight others that have trained for, probably, years? He knew that some unevolved pokemon could still be powerhouses -just look at Pikachu-, but really? They didn't even have any significant qualities or the preparation to fight. What happened to the strategies, the tactics that used everything to his advantage!?

He knew Ketchum could have easily beaten the brat with that team if it wasn't for his neglected training regime! His bond with his pokemon would have made them train their hardest and unlock their subconscious ability to use more than four different moves; all Pikachu needed was a move like **Brick Break, Focus Punch or Dig** to knock out that Lucario.

With a strong bond between a person and a pokemon both will discover power -physical, emotional and mental- that they wouldn't have found themselves. Why else would a pokemon agree to be separated from its freedom?

And how did he, Paul Shinji, the cruel slave driver (who obviously abuses his pokemon), know this? Because he could see it. Literally. It was shown in their aura. It showed him the potential of people and pokemon: their emotions, their energy, their potential for growth and bonds with others. Of course, he never wanted the ability.

The auras of the people he passed every day of his life were pathetically weak, constantly craving to reach their full potential. It was maddening how he knew exactly how to make them better but he couldn't. Who would believe him? Even his brother brushed off his ability as childish imagination, ruining what was left of his potential as a trainer; it could have rivalled the auras of the League Champions. But the pain he felt at watching that potential die kept him from trying to help anyone else. So he tried to ignore it.

Only his Pokemon had known what he had gone through and trained till they dropped to be the best that they could, despite his attempts at stopping them. Even reverse psychology didn't stop them. Some pokemon somehow knew what he could do and willingly got captured to possibly reach their potential, knowing that their release would mean that he was unable to help them. Then there would be something else they needed to do, because all life was meant for a purpose, that Paul would direct them to. It was lucky that all pokemon seemed to understand their fellows' curiosity for the assessment or they wouldn't normally be allowed back into their herds/flocks/groups when released by a trainer.

There were occasions, like his Azumarill, where he would give the pokemon to another who would do what he couldn't, but those times were rare. The kid he gave her to would eventually become a great coordinator once he formed a strong bond with her. Helping to train the pokemon at Reggie's ranch helped to lower the stress that came from ignoring dozens of auras everyday too, despite the strength of his mental discipline.

Then everything changed when he met Ketchum.

Just like all of the others, he had seen what could be improved. Ketchum's potential for growth had been immeasurable, especially with the Guardian aura residing in his soul. Paul couldn't bear to leave him as he was when it was so easy to help- hear his aura. It was so strong that it was like a chorus of whispers whenever the other stood too close.

Paul couldn't completely seal off his Aura Sensitivity and his brain throbbed constantly at Ketchum's power. So he helped it along. Of course, it was just to get rid of the aura.

Chimchar's power had needed the specific honing of an ambitious trainer, but it wasn't him. Every technique he used to train the fire type only resulted in failure and the pokemon's aura flaring, grating on his mental shields. The attempt to mimic the Zangoose attack was the last resort before he would give up. Training Chimchar would also give Ash more experience and knowledge necessary to be the best that he could. Paul's frequent battles and meetings would also give the other teen a goal and a reason to become stronger.

Being beaten at the Sinnoh League was honestly one of the proudest moments in his life, despite the loss. His pokemon, as well as Ketchum's, had clearly grown stronger and Ketchum's aura had abated because of his efforts. He didn't know what his own aura looked like, it was the only one he couldn't see, but being able to make someone almost two years older than him use every skill and tactic they knew was thrilling. Admittedly, he was disappointed when Ketchum lost to Tobias, especially when he had made the effort to use his pokemon from his other travels, but it was expected. It only meant that Ketchum would need to continue to train himself the rest of the way.

Out of pure curiosity, Paul had recorded the Unova League on his pokegear to watch when he was bored. Then he came across the battles for places in the Semi-finals...He scowled as he deleted all of the videos. 'Why bother continuing to watch when I don't know anyone else,' he thought as he switched the watch off.

Then he stood, stretching his arms above his head to remove the stiffness that came from staying in place for so long. And from sitting on a rock for the duration of his break. Though there was rarely anything other than rocks and some strong pokemon on the higher levels of .

Paul had decided to train hard to challenge the Indigo League again, as well as all of the other leagues he had travelled to before, after he had finally beaten the Battle frontier (a short time after the league). He already had all of the badges necessary to challenge them; all his team needed was some special training. It also allowed him to improve his own skills to survive sufficiently without his team and-what was that? He paused, meters away from the entrance to the peak of the mountain.

' _Was that...aura?'_ The purple haired trainer closed his eyes and ...yes, it was but it was...different. Powerful, wild and wrathful, yet it was somehow weak too: like it was...fading. It wasn't shifting, pulsing or changing so there weren't any living beings there but perhaps traces of the aura were left behind. It happened to all living creatures but Paul usually had to concentrate a lot harder to find, identify or follow a single trail. And the aura always faded a day or two later...unless there was conflict, an increase in power (evolution), a significantly stronger person/pokemon or other various exceptions.

An odd, unexplainable instinct urged him to follow the trails to the peak, even though any other would see them as the perfect reason to flee in the other direction. He was never one to doubt his instincts before, so Paul complied, however his hand was cautiously on his shrunken Pokéballs. The second he stepped onto the peak, he gasped.

The sheer power in the area; it was stifling! It forced the Aura Sensitive trainer to freeze in place to prevent himself from staggering, completely overwhelmed.

"...Who could have done this?" His attention was utterly focused on the aura flooding the area, leaving no crevice free from the lingering life forces. Different colours sparked and flared before merging back into the mix of ethereal blue, a thunder coloured lavender-pink and another that felt far too familiar, lost in the confusion. It was almost like Paul was seeing faint lights from beneath an ocean overlaying the entire area but it wasn't really obstructing his normal vision.

His hand gently carded through a nearby pink wisp, letting it form into fine strands that rippled and flowed with the deceiving tranquility of water. Though there was also an underlying sense of something else...The aura was uncomfortably warm, twisting around his fingers like fire. Yet, it was something more: more powerful, more untamed, proud...noble. Dragon types.

He inhaled sharply as his mind raced, denial creeping through his thoughts. A Dragon pokemon, the rarest type, with an aura that far exceeded all of Cynthia's team combined. And the other significant blue aura was just as strong. Could it be?

Suddenly, a bright green light burst into existence before Paul, momentarily dazzling him. Before his eyes adjusted, he could hear the faint chime of distant temple bells; the soothing symphony distracted him from both his fight or flight reflexes and his pokemon team. Then a new stream of mixed aura trickled into existence, emitting a joyful harmony of playfulness, peace, delight, innocence, kindness and laughter that had no intention of harm. Five distinct shapes could be seen floating in the air as the brightness faded to nonexistent.

He blinked in disbelief.

One was a small feline pokemon with baby pink fur, bunnery-like legs and a long thin tail that was the same length as the rest of its body. It had big blue eyes that sparkled as it giggled innocently, twirling around the rest, who joined in the game seconds later. The second was a light green with a head the shape of a flower bulb, large, ringed eyes, blue tipped antenna and a tiny pair of fluttering wings on its back. Another was roughly star shaped, a mix of white and yellow, and had two ribbon-like trails behind it. The next was a clear, ocean blue with a similarly shaped head to the second and longer, thicker antenna that ended with spheres (it resembled those of a Chinchou or Lanturn's but blue instead of yellow). The final one was cream and orange with mini feathered wings and large ears that made a 'v' shape at the top of its head.

It was the Legendary Fairy pokemon. Mew, the New Species pokemon; Celebi, the Time Travel pokemon; Jirachi, the Wish pokemon; Manaphy, the Seafare pokemon; Victini, the Victory pokemon. They were here. On the top of . With him.

He just stared at them for a long while, unable to comprehend the sight of the legendaries playing like ordinary young children and pokemon. It took some time but Paul managed to muster enough of his intelligence to sting together a few choked words.

"W-what...are you doing here?" A small part of him cringed at the stutter but he reasoned that it was currently justified. The five paused, as if just remembering his presence, whipping around to face him with wide eyes. There was silence as the two parties stared at each other. Then they exploded into a canopy of sounds, all chirping and babbling at once as they spoke enthusiastically, quiet auras flaring out with their excitement. Wave after wave of frantic, fluctuating aura washed over him, sending mixed sensations and images into his mind. All went by too quickly to see but one image was repeated so frequently it was impossible not to see.

"Is that...Ketchum?" He winced as even more images-no, more memories poured into him. Ketchum turned to stone, Ketchum surrounded by rings of glowing Celebi, battling a huge creature-was that a Groundon!?-, dressed up in Aura Guardian attire, inside a submarine and...and riding...riding Reshiram! Wait, what was that-Arceus? Darkrai? No, what-fast. Too fast! His head throbbed and everything burned-

"STOP!" Nothing. He panted harshly, waiting for the last of the memories to sink in.

Ketchum began his journey around 7 years ago with a Pikachu. He has met pretty much every legendary Pokemon from Kanto to Unova, helping/saving them from from what the evil pokemon organisations had intended to do. Ketchum was the Chosen One. Well, at least that explained the huge amount of untapped aura. And...and...Why were the Legendaries so quiet?

He glanced up, almost flinching when he found teary, concerned blue eyes right in front of him. "Mew..." The little pokemon's tail and ears had drooped as it sat slumped in front of him; its aura was weighed down by remorse. This was Mew? It was so innocent, too innocent to be chased for its DNA and other things it likely didn't understand. Despite the wisdom it had shown on New Island with Mewtwo, Mew was still similar to a child.

"Mana?..." A glance behind Mew showed that the others were no different and had not known that the sharing of memories would affect him so much. They most likely saw it being done by other psychic or legendary pokemon with no idea of how to control it completely. Perhaps this was why their group was made. Other legendary groups were in the same region as each other but these five were too alike to separate them or put them into other groups.

Slowly, to avoid startling the pokemon, he raised his hand, catching their attention as their auras collectively spiked in alarm, wariness, and then, pained acceptance. They huddled together on the cold stone, despite the fact that he was purposefully intensifying his natural, calming aura over them to show he meant no harm. When he got closer to them, they all chirped and shook nervously but made no move to get away. The flare of anger he felt at all of the people who they must have met was masterfully hidden, as was all of the other negative signals his aura may have been projecting.

After a few more tense moments, when the Fairy Legandaries didn't feel the pain or rage they were expecting, they calmed slightly, instead becoming curious of the human's peaceful aura. He didn't move, keeping his outstretched hand just out of touching distance. What was he doing?

Ever the brave one, Victini stepped in front of Mew. The Victory pokemon had its wings help high with caution as it eyed the hand, memories of an old human king rising to the surface of its mind. Trusting the trainer's aura, it held onto one of his fingers and stared into his deep blue eyes, not noticing the movement outside its range of vision but catching the renewed alarm of its group. Before the little pokemon could turn around, a gentle touch was scratching at the constant itch between its wings.

Paul couldn't help a small smile of amusement as the cream and orange coloured pokemon practically melted. Some winged pokemon weren't able to reach the space between their wings so it was often itchy or uncomfortable due to messy fur or feathers. Pack/flock mates usually attended to this problem, though he doubted that the other Legendaries knew exact where to scratch or have the expertise gained from years at a Pokemon ranch. The purring let the others approach and soon they were, one again, all playfully chasing each other to get Paul's attention.

"Why are you here?" Once they were all back to their former state, Paul had waited for them to notice the absence of petting. His question was asked when they had all turned to look at him. A single image of Ketchum laughing was the result. Huh, so they realised that he wasn't able to cope with more than a few images or memories at once.

"What about him?" Another image was sent, this one of his recent defeat in the Unova League, holding Pikachu close to his chest. It was soon followed by the image of the star shaped Kalos Region with a red "x" over it and the dreadful scene of, what Paul assumed was, the native Pokemon stuffed into piles of cages by team Rocket. The last two images were of himself with an arrow pointed to the Unova Region and an Absol with its colours reversed (Black fur, white claws etc).

"...So you want me to go to the Unova League and...do something to stop pokemon being stolen in Kalos? And it has something to do with an Absol or a disaster...?" They pouted at him, giving the him the impression that he didn't understand what they meant. The five all glanced at each other before Jirachi glided forward and gestured towards Celebi.

"Time travel?" They twittered happily but he zoned out as he pieced their plan together. Send him to travel back in time help Ketchum win the league, help him to become stronger. Then Ketchum could prevent disaster in the Kalos region with his new strength. And he was the only one who could help because of his ability...Paul couldn't believe that he was actually considering this.

"What will happen to my Pokemon?" An image of his brother's ranch came in response. So they wouldn't come with him? That would make it more difficult but the trainer supposed that his team weren't completely necessary to teach Ketchum and give him some advice. Or maybe Celebi didn't have enough energy, even with Victini's infamous power boost, to send him to that period of time, allow him to change it and bring others too.

"...Alright," he said quietly, after a long pause. A little louder, "I agreed to go back in time to help Ketchum as long as Reggie and my team know that I'm okay. I mean, it couldn't take more than a day if Celebi sends me back to this time." Cheers were the response, the little Pokemon chirping and laughing happily.

With one last petting, Paul stood back up, removed his belt of shrunken pokéballs and braced himself. The Fairy Pokemon all stood together as their auras grew to outshine the faded signs left by the attempted capture of Dialga and Palkia; the deep chimes of temple bells once again echoed through the mountain, soothing his nerves and allowing him to focus on the forming rings of Celebi's ability.

Unexpectedly, his feet lifted off the rocky terrain, leaving him to flail in momentary panic at the sudden change. It was only the delighted squeaks of the legendaries that prevented a scowl from appearing on his face, though the faint flush of embarrassment on his cheeks remained. But...Paul had a feeling that he was missing something important. Something very important and obvious...

"Hey, why did the Absol have-" A bright flare of green light covered 's peak.


	2. Pallet Town

Perfect Disaster 2

Pallet Town

It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining and the pidgy were tweeting. A slight breeze rustled the leaves of the trees surrounding a small clearing. Now if only the sunlight wasn't directed at his eyes...

"Urgh..." Paul grumbled, shifting in an attempt to shield his face from the light. It'd been a long time since Paul had the chance to sleep on soft grass instead of the harsh stone of so he had full intentions of making the most of it. Especially when Honchcrow would soon wake the others up with her singing. Oh, he would have definitely thought about the benefits of keeping her in her Pokéball overnight if she wasn't infinitely better at keeping watch during the night. And it wouldn't be fair when the others were allowed to stay out at night.

Come to think of it, he felt much too rested. She should have started by now...Actually, he barely even remembered taking his team out of their Poké-!...He didn't.

Memories of the Fairy Legendaries flooded his mind, from their playful game of tag to the sudden green light.

Paul fought against the urge to face palm. He just agreed to help Ketchum, suffer his aura's constant clamour and save the Kalos region without any money or pokemon to help him. All of his supplies were in his bag, which wasn't present underneath his head, so he would have no choice but to rely on Ketchum if he didn't want to cause a paradox with the money system. Great. Just great.

"Stupid aura sensitivity, making me act like a pathetic novice," was what Paul would have said. Only, he had frozen when the sounds coming from his mouth did not sound like words; they sounded like...

Indigo eyes snapped open as Paul abruptly came to full conscious. A black blanket was the first thing he saw. No, he realised with dawning horror, flinching back, it was soft, silky black fur. Pristine white claws replaced humane fingers and a matching sickle shaped tail lay innocently in the grass below him. He raised a shaky pawto his head, feeling a curved horn on his head, actually feeling the sensation of soft fur brushing against the horn.

Sensitive enough to sense disasters, he recalled faintly.

He was a pokemon. To be more specific, a pokemon that still had aura sensitivity and now the ability to act as a live weather forecast.

"ABSOL!" The cry was enough to make a few pokemon flee from the surrounding forest in fear.

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"Ab absol!" It had taken a while but, once Paul overcame his shock, he had taken up the challenge of walking on four legs. Seeing pokemon walk and really walking as a pokemon were completely different and the sun showed that it was roughly midday when he got the hang of it; how ponyta managed to walk so soon after birth was nothing short of astounding. On an unrelated note, the trainer had found out the hard way that Absol tail were used more for attacks than for balance.

Well, walking turned out to be pretty easy once he started obeying, what must have been, the pokemon's natural instincts or muscle memory. It wasn't long before he could run like he'd had four legs his whole life. Sensations from his horn directed him to a humble town due to the brick buildings that blocked some of the natural paths of wind.

The town was visible after a few minutes, seen from the top of a hill the path had gone over. It was completely different to Veilstone city's towering skyscrapers and just seemed more welcoming. Maybe it was the sunlight, or the humble houses. Perhaps it was the happiness every person and pokemon seemed to radiate, both in their auras and with their cheerful smiles.

A small sign, just off the path, announced the name of the place. "Pallet Town." This is where Ketchum lived before his journey.

' _No wonder he was so peppy all of the time,_ ' Paul thought. He doubted that anyone could harbour any real negative emotions in the town, not beyond petty arguments and teasing anyway. But those were easily forgiven and forgotten when so many were willing to help you.

After a few more minutes of enjoying the serenity, he reluctantly continued to the town, this time staying close to the trees to avoid detection. He was going to travel with Ketchum, whether the other trainer knew it or not, but he refused to get caught in a pokéball...

...Though Paul wasn't a person anymore. He was a rare wild pokemon that could be engaged in battle for capture, or just thrown balls at. At any moment. Every single day...

...

' _Fine_ ,' he growled at the thought, he'd get in a pathetic ball...eventually. Then it would only need to happen once instead of several times a day (when pathetic people tried to capture him). There would always be a chance that he would be too tired to resist capture, so Paul would rather do it on his own terms.

But he refused to listen to Ketchum's commands for anything other than pure training purposes or battling. He would need to do some hard work to make sure he was a valuable asset to the team, enough to be present with Ketchum as often as possible. That meant competing with pokemon who had been training for at least a year, and some would have had more than 5 years if they continued after Ketchum started a new journey.

Then again, the transformed Absol did have a better chance to be on the team if he was a newly caught pokemon. Ketchum was more likely to spend more time understanding a new pokemon's move set, abilities, personality and capabilities than an older pokemon. Granted, the older pokemon would be stronger, but a trainer would have already spent enough time with their pokemon before parting with them for long periods of time.

Urgh, he hated being ordered around constantly, but if Ursaring, one of the most stubborn pokemon he had ever met, could stand listening to a tiny human shout attacks to him, then he could listen to Ketchum. But, for now, he'd rather not gain attention.

First, Paul would need to bide his time self training to a respectable level before even thinking of following Ketchum on his journey. From what he'd seen from the Legendarys' memories, the other was practically a magnet for trouble, whether it was pokemon organisations or his stubbornness in following his heart over his head. If he wanted to go to Unova, he needed to be able to do some things to care of himself: learn some useful moves, find edible food, fight off other pokemon and, most importantly, avoid being seen by any people.

At least the black fur had its uses now; even if it did put a target on his back for poachers, collectors, fanatics and scientists everywhere.

' _Speaking of scientists, Pallet town is where Professor Oak lives,'_ Paul mused. He'd have to store the pokemon caught on trainers' journeys, which included Ketchum's pokemon. If he want-had to help Ketchum then it would be best if he saw the states of the teen's pokemon first.

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Finally. It had been annoying for Paul to hide like a pathetic coward, but the pokemon compound was definitely worth the trouble.

It was a pokemon paradise: the place was huge, there were areas for every type to feel comfortable, everything seemed completely natural and there would be enough food to prevent fights. It was a shame he had never visited a professor's compound before, there was no need to when all of his pokemon could be taken care of by Reggie.

Professor Oak's house seemed as good a place as any to begin his search, so Paul headed towards it.

Along the way, he had thought about how his transformation was possible and the parts the Fairy Legendaries had played to get to his current situation. Celebi had obviously done the time traveling, but Paul eventually managed to guess the purposes for the others.

Jirachi granted wishes so Ketchum must had wished that he had done thing better, but the pokemon couldn't just send back his future memories (he figured it had something to do with the lack of control they all had when showing him their own memories). Victini could have ensured that the plan was successful, victorious, and Mew must have had something to do with the actual pokemon body. He wasn't certain, but Manaphy was rumoured to switch souls out of their bodies so the pokemon could have transferred his soul or stabilised it.

*Hello, welcome to Professor Oak's lab.* Paul started at the unexpected surprise, head snapping to the direction of the voice as his senses went into overdrive. He barely heard the faint sounds of "bulb bulba" in the background.

No, there was no sign of a trainer or any other person apart from the two that he had planned to avoid. Nope. It was just a bulbasaur. A bulbasaur that was looking straight at him with its head now tilted in concern and wariness.

You couldn't tell, but Paul's mind froze before racing at a sudden thought. He could understand pokemon. Well, it made sense that he would if he got transformed into one, but he could actually fully understand pokemon. He knew his words would just sound like normal Absol calls to any human, but, as obvious as it was, he hadn't thought pokemon could fully understand other species.

The ex-trainer managed to give a perfectly normal nod towards the starter, not giving away his recent turmoil. *Thank you,* Paul said, now able to hear his own voice above the quieter calls of his species.

The bulbasaur had relaxed, the battle ready stiffness, which he now recognised, faded to a more relaxed stature as he nodded back. Impressive. The plant type must have greeted some aggressive pokemon in the past and took measures not to be caught off guard. Paul needed to pay more attention to his surroundings if he had missed the huge potential and protectiveness of the aura before him.

*Would you like something to eat before a quick run through of what's to be expected? Tracy, the professor's assistant, will be providing food very soon* Paul was about to decline when he picked up several scents a short distance away.

*If that's not too much trouble,* he said, before his stomach had the chance to speak up. The other didn't smile but there might have been a quirk on his lips as he turned to lead Paul to the food. In that moment, a brief flicker occurred in the plant type's aura, making Paul blink in surprise.

' _One down, another thirty or forty more.'_

Pokemon and people formed bonds with each other over time, as everyone knew. Though there was a reason why aura guardians could identify which pokemon were allies and opponents during wars: the stronger the bond, the more apparent it was through their auras. As long as the person and pokemon had a strong bond, and the guardian had felt the person's aura before, pokemon belonging to the person could be identified.

He recognised that aura as Ketchum's. It was also strong, and quite old, almost as old as Pikachu's. This bulbasaur must have been caught during Ketchum's first journey.

The thinning of trees around him made Paul wary without the canopy casting as many shadows over him as before. He really didn't want to be studied; it didn't matter if it was a renowned professor or not. His reluctance turned his graceful prowl into an awkward plod, lengthening the gap between himself and the bulbasaur with his slow pace. Of course, the plant type soon noticed the change in his companion.

*Is something the matter?* Red eyes peered at him carefully, scanning for injuries that may have escaped his notice in the few rays of sunlight that reached ground level.

*No, it's just that...* The bright sunlight shone mockingly in from of him, just a foot from the end of the forest. He signed.

Paul stepped forward to allow the light to reveal his unique colouring: black fur with a glossy purple sheen and the rest an icy white. As predicted, surprise jolted through Bulbasaur's aura and...nothing? What, no hatred or fear, not even rejection? The other must have seen his surprise because a more realistic grin curled the corners of his mouth.

*Colourings are not a problem here. Unlike wild pokemon, humans are usually fascinated by new colourings. If you look around the compound, you'll find that you aren't the only one. My trainer caught a shiny noctowl, and she was accepted just fine.* With that said, the bulbasaur turned back around and walked away. It took another amused glance back for Paul to stop staring and actually follow.

It wasn't like there was long to go. Now that he was paying attention, Paul could hear someone calling to pokemon up ahead whilst pushing, what sounded like, a trolly with a squeaky wheel or two. The scents were even stronger now and that meant that the trolly was probably loaded with pokemon food.

"Alright, everyone, it's time to eat!"

*Come on, everyone!* A bayleef? Professors rarely gave away starter pokemon to trainers in different regions without a reason.

Admittedly, the reason could have been something as small as the pokemon liking the trainer, but... He shook his head, refocusing on following Ketchum's pokemon outside the protection of the trees.

It seemed that the pokemon was right; barely any of the other pokemons' aura fluctuated at the sight of him, the worst reaction being a few curious stares and some second glances. And that wasn't just because they didn't see him because his dark fur stood out like a blot of ink on a plain page. A lot of work must have gone into creating this harmony. No pokemon would just decide to let go of their beliefs, even if they were captured.

Paul stopped a few feet from the trolly and looked at the wide variety of coloured bowls...How was he suppose to pick one up? With his mouth?

The problem was solved when two deceiving thin vines wrapped around a black bowl, presumably for dark types, and placed in down beside the trolly. Watching the vines return, he was met with playful maroon eyes and a small smile. Her aura was strong enough to rival some of the Meganium he had seen on his travels.

*Hello, you must be new! Here, have some pokemon food, it's specially made for dark types. Oh, but we didn't really have these formulas until a pokemon breeder, Brock, showed the professor how giving pokemon their individual type's certain ingredients make them happier! Did you know that, I didn't know that, has Bulbasaur already shown you around?* Paul blinked at the sudden wave (though it was closer to a tsunami) of enthusiasm from the grass starter. Another one of Ketchum's pokemon already? If this kept up, he would be able to start training sooner than he thought.

Realising she was waiting for an answer, he shook his head but Bulbasaur answered before he could. *No, we decided to have some food first.* She smiled wider, closing her eyes.

*Alright! I hope you enjoy the meal, and meet everyone soon!* The absol just stared after her as she return to giving out bowls of food. He turned to his guide, who already had a green bowl in front of him, patiently waiting for his charge to start. Though the ex-trainer was still dazed.

*...Is she always so,* he paused, trying to find a word to describe the bayleef. A nod and another smile was the response...Okay then.

Paul sat on his haunches and lowered his head to sniff at the food. The alluring scent hadn't changed and he was still hungry. No, he sighed inwardly. This was normal. If he wanted to survive being a pokemon long enough to fulfil his task then he was going to have to get used to eating without using hands...Why couldn't he have been a bipedal pokemon, or just any pokemon with two things he could use as hands, like Bulbasaur's vines?

Opening his mouth, the absol bit a small bit a small pellet off the top of the ones piled into the bowl. Then paused, eyes widening as the flavour burst on his tongue. The only thing he could vaguely recognised the combined spicy, sour, bitterness of Tenga and Chople berries. They boosted defence against bug and fighting type attacks so they were used in some healing salves and medicine for dark types. However, pokemon clearly had some different preferences to humans because he distinctly remembered drinking a jug of MooMoo milk to get rid the taste (Reggie had used his curiosity as an opportunity to tease him. How people could think that he was nice when he tricked his 8 year old brother into trying that vile mixture, Paul would never know).

He tried to hide his surprise under a mask of nonchalance, though he had the feeling that Bulbasaur was only accepting the act out of politeness and amusement. At least Paul was able to control himself enough eat at a normal pace instead of stuffing himself.

Maybe the situation wasn't as bad as he thought.


	3. Understanding

Perfect Disaster 3

Understanding

Yeah, remember what Paul just thought? About how the pokemon thing wouldn't be that bad? Well, he was wrong.

There he was, an absol with inverted colours, feeling utterly relaxed: the harmony all around him was something he had cherished throughout all of his years travelling. The other pokemon hadn't bothered with any sort of initiation and accepted him seamlessly into their routine; their auras flowing to fill the air with faint patterns that swirled calmingly, allowing him to divert his concentration from his barriers. No one was critiquing him for his training methods (which his pokemon had created themselves) or his aloof nature (which only made their auras fluctuate irritatingly against his mental barriers).

He had already met two of Ketchum's team and found that his task would be easier than he thought if Unova was the only exception to the amazing line up of pokemon. It was, admittedly, optimistic of him, but he indulged himself. Just this once.

"Is that an absol!?"

Paul immediately looked up as the calm atmosphere shattered. The pokemon were startled, disrupting the beautiful canopy of aura that reminded him of his team after a particularly difficult day

... It seemed that he had temporarily forgotten to take the human beings into account.

' _Pathetic,'_ he inwardly scolded to himself, _'of course the assistant, Tracy, had to come back to the trolly to get more food. Where else would he get it?'_ He signed aloud, recreating his barriers once again as he resigned himself to a thorough inspection.

There was no point in hiding when the person would inevitably tell the professor about his rare presence, only to find that he was "wild" when they searched the databases for him. Then they would request the pokemon to help search for him, leaving him no time to search for Ketchum's team or train; not to mention the loyal pokemon that would try to convince him to meet up with their trainers.

Even if he had hoped they would discover him a fair amount of time later, it made no profound difference to his plans. All that would likely happen is a check up inside the lab, some samples and some discussions with more professors in different regions (the professor researching bonds between people and pokemon wouldn't deliberately harm a pokemon in any way). Paul guessed he had approximately two month before something was leaked to the public (by hacking, accident or an eavesdropper), sending thieves, trainers and collectors his way.

The Kanto laboratory would then get more security, but wouldn't last more than a few more weeks before someone managed to slip through the system for him. He might have already gone to Unova when this happened, but it would transform the harmony into chaos as the other pokemon fought against being stolen too. Thieves must have already visited the lab, only to be driven off by the barrage of attacks from all of the pokemon. Would the pokemon endure if smarter, more powerful, people decided that an unusually coloured absol was worth the trouble?

Although that was merely one of the worst case scenarios. If Arceus decided to grant him this small mercy, no one else would know his existence before he confronted Ketchum in a...a battle...

Why did everything have to become so complicated again? It was going so well, too...At least he had already finished the dark type food beforehand.

Bulbasaur must have mistaken his apprehension for the future for being nervous about another human. *Tracy won't harm you. The most he would do is try to draw you before telling the Professor. Noctowl said that he only did a regular health check, take some of her loose feathers and talon powder, after filing them for her.* Paul just nodded in response, failing to hide all of his insecurities from the Kanto starter.

"Wow, I've never seen one in person before. And that pelt is so unique!" Paul fought the urge to flinch as Tracy's face suddenly appeared inches away from his own.

"Hmm..." Binoculars were whipped in front of the man's eyes, despite Paul being directly in front of him. "This absol is 1.5m tall, which is 30cm taller than the average absol," now he had a sketchbook and pencil in his hand- how did he get those so quickly!? "Pelt has a glossy purple sheen, potentially natural or obtained through specific diet..." The rest of the speculative chatter went over Paul's head, Tracy moving around far too quickly to keep up with...

"Oh, I have to tell the Professor!" Then Tracy dashed off towards the lab, leaving the pokemon to sweatdrop at his antics. The rest eventually returned to eating but Paul was no longer relaxed enough to feel their auras (only see them).

*Just to be sure, should I be expecting more people and pokemon like this? I mean, he isn't as energetic as Bayleef but I don't think my sanity can handle it if there were a lot of them.* Bulbasaur shook his head, grinning at his bewilderment.

*He's only like this when he sees something new; normally, he's much calmer.* Paul frowned, or did the canine equivalent to it, feeling uneasy.

*And the answer to the question?* The grass-type's convenient deafness and the bright fluttering of his aura was answer enough.

*Are you ready to see the rest of the conservation?* The absol reluctantly allowed the change in topic. It would do no good to dwell on something he couldn't change; he would only need some time to accept that there were going to be some very talkative beings he had to endure.

*Yes*

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The tour was straightforward and direct, Bulbasaur taking a route that prevented them from seeing the same area twice. There was a huge lake, a plain like area, numerous large caves and natural shelters (for Pokemon who usually live in the dark or for when it rains) in addition to the forest Paul had arrived in. The forest itself had a range of different trees, hollow or not, for more Pokemon to rest in, so wild Pokemon weren't unusual- thank goodness for that!

There wasn't a section for pokemon who lived in cold climates because the weather was never hot enough for them to overheat, just like how the winters weren't cold enough to harm Pokemon who preferred hotter climates. Pokemon were resilient, able to thrive where people couldn't imagine, so they were often underestimated when it came to adapting to new things.

*Lastly, this is the official training ground.*

Paul started. *Hn? Wha- oh, wow...* There were two average sized battle pitches just outside of the lab -it seemed that they had returned to the beginning again- where injuries could be quickly attended. Trees nearby were further apart but thicker, large rocks peppered in between. Some already had claw and burn marks to show that they had been used as practice dummies.

*Impressive, isn't it?* While it wasn't as harsh as some of the areas he had trained in, it was better than expected. He turned back to the bulbasaur.

*Thank you for the tour...Do you mind if I spend the rest of the day here? At least, until the Professor starts looking for me?* Paul really needed to start getting stronger if he hoped to become an asset to the team.

There was also the matter that his current strength was unknown, due to being unable to see his own aura. Pokemon could only learn some moves when they were at a certain skill/strength level to prevent themselves from being hurt by their own power. Of course, there were exceptions if the Pokemon trained hard enough, learnt from a different source or were bred to have specific moves, but it was the most accurate method he had to find his level ("level" was a term used more frequently amongst Pokemon care takers for measuring stages of a pokemon's strength. The greater the difference between stages, from when a Pokemon was dropped off to when they are collected, the more a trainer has to pay).

Bulbasaur gave a nod of approval before turning back to the path. It wasn't a rude gesture; wild pokemon usually kept their training methods to themselves. To give themselves an advantage. The protectiveness over their training faded after being captured, but adapting took time.

Paul walked to a more secluded area in training grounds (not that it was necessary with all of the pokemon eating or relaxing) that resembled the clearings he preferred to train in on his journey. Now...How was he suppose to do this?

His pokemon had said that triggering the beginning of moves required some sort of purpose. That purpose is what made their aura direct towards the place a move was used. Then the energy of the aura was harnessed 'instinctually' through one of the pokemon's known moves. Now he just needed to figure how how to use his moveset without knowing what moves he had. Right, this will be interesting.

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First Paul had tried to consciously intensify the aura throughout his body with the intent of finding out his level. Nothing happened.

The next attempt was to try using the moves Absol could learn, one by one, to see which ones he had. Failure.

Then he forcefully channeled his aura through his claws as he swiped at the air. That resulted in an invisible shockwave of aura that dissipated harmlessly into the atmosphere.

The fourth attempt was to concentrate on his resolve on saving the future from organised crime. Nope, nada, zilch.

*Pathetic,* Paul huffed, moodily dropping down to lie on his stomach. *What kind of pokemon can't use any moves? Even newborn wurmple can use Tackle from the moment they hatch-* he froze.

The moment they hatched? Like how ponyta could walk ' _the moment they hatched'_?

His pokemon had said that the moves were instinctual, but he had thought they had no other way to describe it. The trainer had thought that using moves were so ingrained into their memories that they couldn't remember how not use moves and, in a way, he was right.

He could have been overthinking it all along; just like he had when trying to walk. There was no need to think about how to do it. It was instinct.

Mind racing, the absol stood up and closed his eyes.

 _A graveler, tropius and exeggutor surrounded him, growling as they closed in, their steps making the ground tremble with their weight. Paul easily matched their growls, tensing his muscles as he glared at them. Even the slightest movements drew his attention. Every shift was met with a snarl, aura racing through his veins: poised to strike._

 _Seeking out to prey on the weak._ Pathetic _._

Attack _._

 _One threatening step too close and he pounced, horn growing with a bright pink glow. The moment he was in range, he swung his head, horn sweeping through the air like a deadly blade. Shockwaves of energy sent crescent arcs at the Graveler, making it bellow with rage._ _ **Psycho Cut.**_

 _Still in the air, he twisted. A tropius's head was used as a spring board to launch himself towards an exeggutor. His white claws tinged vibrant violet, raking across the pokemon's side before he landed on the ground. A thud sounded behind him as the grass-psychic type was brought to its knees._ _ **Punishment**_ _._

 _He glanced back the the exeggutor. Navy blue eyes darkened to a sickening shade of purple as ominous dark flames engulfed the absol, spreading towards the frightened pokemon. They raced across the ground, hovering just above it to give the illusion of fire, until it reached the target. With a pained cry, it toppled over completely._ _ **Hex**_ _._

Evade _._

 _Paul vanished mere seconds before a Graveler replaced him with a missed Tackle. The invaders died out in confusion and alarm as they turned to try and find the dark type pokemon. Suddenly, the Graveler fainted as the absol appeared behind it, attacking the other pokemon._ _ **Feint Attack**_ _._

One left _._

 _The tropius glanced nervously at it's fallen companions but the absol was gone when it turned back. Warbling uncertainly, it stepped back. A painful strike on its leg made it flinch, whirling around, only to find more trees. Then another two, three, four...With a yelp, it collapsed. The last thing it saw was a pair of deep blue eyes._ _ **Rough Play.**_

Paul gasped, eyes flying open. He ignored the new marks on the trees and the rubble by his paws. So that was his moveset: **Psycho Cut, Punishment, Hex, Feint attack and Rough Play.**

Two dark type moves, one ghost, one psychic and one fairy move.

Two rare egg moves, two common egg moves and one move learnt at level 37/47, depending on which region the absol was originally from (not as exact as he hoped, but still helpful to know). How did he get five moves without a trainer? 'Was it because I used to be human? Was it a gift from the five legendary pokemon I met before? Or was it a mistake they made when transforming me into a different species?

It was quite a valuable collection of moves, too; while it wasn't the rarest possible, it was still worthy of a professional breeder. However, he still had a weakness for Bug type pokemon so Paul still needed to learn a fire, flying or rock type move- none of which could be learnt without a tutor or a TM. Though a fire type move should have more priority, because fire type moves were effective against numerous types and easier to combine with other moves.

He smirked. _'Isn't it convenient that I have all the experience required to be a tutor?'_ Although, it would be better to perfect what he had before starting something new.

Paul now understood that his purpose had been too specific when he tried to train before. Pokemon could use moves for minor things, like showing off or playing, and there was no way a newly hatched pokemon could comprehend complicated concepts. Simple intentions were the most effective in this case.

The trainer looked at a lone tree nearby, diverting his attention to it.

 _'Attack with_ _ **Rough Play.**_ _'_

He immediately felt his aura strengthen his body, flowing beneath his fur. Obeying the urge that followed, he dashed towards the tree, gaining momentum. Then, he jumped, batting at the trunk with his paws. It would have been similar to a kitten playing with a ball of yarn, that is, if leaves and pieces of bark weren't falling with the power behind each hit.

*So that's why pokemon can understand commands,* the process of their attacks began almost exactly the same way.

After that, Paul went through some exercises to determine his level more accurately than knowing it was above level 37. Some evaluated the power of each move, and his ability to manipulate them, while the majority were mainly to check his stats. He still had his manoeuvrability from when he practiced as a human in addition to the speed from the form of an absol (his abnormal height was a mystery, but all of his muscles and systems were functioning correctly, so it wasn't too important).

The results suggested that he was between level 55-60, which was a pleasant surprise. When he was able to control his form fully, he would be the level of some of the weaker elite four's teams! From what he had seen, Ketchum's pikachu should be approximately level 75-80, but lower if he's had any type of specialised training. Specialised training is when a trainer concentrated on improving their pokemon's moves or stats through unique techniques, which doesn't give them as much of an overall power or experience boost as regular training.

There was still room for improvement, but it was more than enough to be extremely useful when beginning a journey- especially when he could listen to commands. The stronger a pokemon was when captured, the harder it will be to convince them to follow commands. He might even be able to improve how Ketchum's other pokemon trained to be even more of an asset.

*Absol!?* Bulbasaur? Paul retraced his steps back to the battle pitches to see what his guide wanted, even if he already had an idea of what had happened. As he thought, the other was waiting for him with an apologetic expression.

*...Is it time for the examination already?*


End file.
